10 Minutes of the Cell Phone Air time Can Kill you, Rehovot's Weizmann Scientists Study Imply

"Just 10 minutes of chat on a cellular phone is enough to trigger a chemical reaction in the brain that can increase the risk of cancer, warn scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. A study by researchers at the Rehovot institute shows that even low levels of radiation from handsets can lead cells to divide, an occurrence linked to the growth of tumors and several types of cancer. The debate over cellphone safety has been raging for years. Previous studies have found no conclusive evidence linking brain tumors or a rise in cancer rates to mobile use. It was thought phones emit too little radiation to heat the brain dangerously. The new study, published in the Biochemical Journal and reported by New Scientist, suggests, however, that low-intensity 'non-thermal' radiation can also pose a risk to health. In lab tests the Israeli researchers exposed human and rat cell cultures to low-level electromagnetic radiation at 875 megahertz, a similar frequency to that used in mobile phones. After only 10 minutes of exposure, the researchers discovered activation of an enzyme that regulates cell differentiation and division, even though the radiation was weaker than emissions from a typical handset. The researchers concluded that the chemical trigger for the enzyme is the release of reactive oxygen species, small molecules which damage DNA in cell membranes."

Source: 10 minutes on the cell phone could damage your health, say Israeli researchers. israel21c.org (2 September 2007) [FullText]